Mistakes: Past & Present
by CrystalMaker
Summary: You make mistakes so that you may learn from them. Yet there are those who never learn. Crystal Tokyo has been erected, but it's downfall is swiftly approaching at the hands of its ignorant rulers. Who will save it? Or more importantly, who will want to?
1. Prologue: Starcrossed

**CrystalMaker: **Bonjour, hello, whatever. I own none of the Sailormoon cast (though it'd be so cool if I did ) so suing me is not an option (unless you're just really bored). I've been writing bits and pieces of fanfics for years but never really posted anything (or finished it for that matter --). Hopefully this time will be different. Reading Greek Mythology basically started off this little idea I had, then my brain took it from there. This is what I've got so far (it's pretty much a Prologue). Enjoy!

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Tossing and turning, she just couldn't get to sleep. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get this afternoon's events to leave her mind.

Every time she closed her eyes she saw the devastated, heartbroken look on her friend's face.

Punching her pillow in frustration she fell back onto it and scrunched her eyes up, attempting to clear her mind for what seemed like the zillionth time that night. And again, for the zillionth time that night, a pair of cobalt blue eyes that held an ocean of sorrow glimmered back at her.

Acknowledging that sleep was out of reach for her tonight, the young woman gracefully slid out of bed and reached for her dressing robe. Donning it she opened the doors to her bedroom balcony and stepped out into the windy night.

There, in all its glory, was the moon, shining brightly behind a wispy veil of clouds.

Looking up to the giant white pearl above her, the woman gave a tired sigh, and began to wonder just when it was that everything had started going so wrong.

* * *

**Earlier That Day**

**Throne Room of Crystal Tokyo**

When Jupiter had first been summoned to appear in the throne room she'd thought it was for a simple debriefing to the King and Queen about the security over the Northern quadrant of the palace, which she was in control of.

Imagine her surprise to see the entire court assembled.

All of her comrades were standing at attention on either side of her Majesty's thrones. She took her place as well.

Her senshi instincts taking over she surveyed the entire room, looking for any suspicious or dangerous characters.

She stretched out her mental senses as well, searching for any trace of a threatening aura or power within the vicinity. There was none.

What she did realize with her search though, was that Mercury wasn't at her post. Jupiter frowned at this. Mercury was never late, especially to a court assembly.

She turned to her right where Venus stood not two feet away.

First Leader of the Scouts, Venus took her role very seriously.

She made it her business to know every detail of anything that she considered vital to the King and Queen. She was also the first informed of any developments or decisions the rulers of Crystal Tokyo made.

Therefore, she was the logical choice to get answers from.

"Venus," They never referred to each other by their civilian names in front of the people of the city; and definitely not when in uniform and at attention in the Throne Room, "Venus! Do you know what's going on here?" She made sure to speak in low tones.

The Soldier of Love gave her a passing glance before returning her eyes to stare straight ahead in military fashion.

"We are here to witness the trial of a deceiver. A traitor found within the walls of Crystal Tokyo. To stand behind our King and Queen on the judgement that they will make based upon the crimes that have been committed in our city."

"Trial? On whom? What have they done? Venus? Venus, why was I not informed of this earlie-?"

"Quiet!" The blonde warrior whispered fiercely, "It's begun."

The entire grand room went silent as the great Neo-Queen Serenity stood from her throne to address her subjects.

Her cool, regal gaze swept the hall once before she spoke.

Her voice was soft but nevertheless, heard by all, "Bring her forth."

'_Bring her forth? Bring **who** forth?'_ These questions and more began to swirl about in Jupiter's mind.

Two young guards eagerly answered their beautiful queen's command. They went to the very back of the hall and out of sight to where the entrance for those under watch and awaiting trial came through.

Looking again to Venus, she noticed the Love Goddess's eyes go steely, and an unexplainable sense of dread filled her gut.

When the guards returned a moment later with their "prisoner" she recognized the navy hair before she saw the face beneath it. The dread she felt drained from her gut to wash over her completely.

Suddenly the pieces all fell too well into place.

The Princess of Thunder could only stare in total shock as the one on trial was placed at the foot of the stairs that led up to the thrones, and made to kneel, head hung low.

Now Venus stepped forward, her voice cold and hard, her eyes just as unfeeling as they glared down upon the kneeling figure.

"Ami Mizuno; Soldier and Heir to the Throne of Mercury; Warrior of Ice, Mist, and Water. You have been found guilty of deceiving the King and Queen and the entire Royal Court. This in itself is high treason. Worse, you have defiled the name and standing of the Planetary Sol Senshi by breaking one of our greatest laws. How do you plead?"

Mercury raised her head and looked upwards to Venus, flinching under her harsh gaze but refusing to lower her eyes, "Guilty." She said softly.

It seemed to echo about the room, followed by the gasps and murmurs of the other courtiers present.

She then switched her gaze to Serenity, eyes pleading.

"But My Queen, please!" She called out, "Allow me to explain-" 

"There is no need for explanations Mercury," She interrupted swiftly; "I have been completely informed of your… activities. You know I cannot condone them. It is against the Senshi's code. You know this." Her voice was soft and hard, like cushioned steel; and it would not be questioned.

But, to the entire court's surprise, the shy, quiet Soldier of Mercury was not giving up without a fight.

"How can you say this!" Mercury shouted, rising to her feet, "You who were once the soldier of Love and Justice! Who are you, who are any of you," she swept her arms out to the crowd around her, "to deny a living, breathing being the right to love, the right to be loved! How can- how can you-"

She broke down. Falling back to her knees, hands covering her face as her body shook with the force of her grief.

Her sobs were all that was heard through the cavernous room.

Serenity swept down the stairs of her dais and stood delicately poised before her broken guardian. Her face was tinged with the exact amount of sympathy for Mercury's plight.

Laying a pale, slim hand lightly on the blue warrior's shoulder she spoke in a proper, composed manner that held none of the feeling showcased upon her features.

"Calm yourself Mercury. Love is no crime but it is an obstacle. And as a Planetary Soldier and a Guardian of Crystal Tokyo, it is an obstacle that cannot be allowed. Not for you, nor for the others. I share in your sorrow, my friend, and wish to ease your pain by telling you it will diminish by the passage of time."

The Ice Princess paused in her tears to look up at the Queen in disbelief, mouth slightly agape. Serenity responded with a small smile that gave comfort, but no warmth. Turning, she ascended the stairs back to her throne, speaking all the while.

"For your services to the Throne and to the inhabitants of Crystal Tokyo and Earth it is a most definite conclusion that we, the people, owe too much to you to sentence you to any vile holding facility. I, myself, care too much for you Mercury to ever see you placed in such… unsavoury conditions.

Thus, you will simply be confined to your rooms here in Crystal Tokyo. Your access to the city will be limited once per week with an escort provided by Venus. Your security privileges will remain intact but under severe supervision. Any projects you are currently working on will be transferred to a secure study that will be monitored at all times. You may not leave your rooms unless given permission and escorted by a guard.

Disobey any of these rules, Mercury, and I'm afraid I will have to take much more drastic measures with your punishment. Is this all clear?"

She was silent for many moments before she spoke.

"What about Greg? What will happen to him?" Her voice was timid and hesitant, as if afraid to ask these questions, not wanting to know the answer.

"He is to be banished from Crystal Tokyo for the remainder of his days. Should he attempt to re-enter or, and this is a warning I give to you on his behalf, Mercury, should he try to make contact with you, he will be imprisoned. In Northguard. For life."

Mercury was on her feet again.

"No," she cried, "You can't do that! Not to him! Please Serenity!"

"Were he to stay in Crystal Tokyo you and he will both be tempted to commit these same crimes again. I do this for the sake and safety of the city and for the two of you as well. I hope, dearest Mercury that someday you will be able to understand why the events of today had to take place." Serenity sat upon her throne once more.

"You look positively drained dear, why don't you retire to your rooms now?" This was not a request, but a polite command. "Nerius, Sota, would you please, escort the princess Mercury to her chambers?"

The eager young guards from before approached the blue soldier, but when nearly within arms-reach of her, both cried out in surprise.

Looking down at what attracted their attention it was seen that the two were frozen to the spot.

A thick layer of ice ran from Mercury's booted feet to Nerius and Sota, where it then climbed up their legs.

They were encased in a solid sheet of ice from the knees down.

That was when Jupiter was suddenly aware of the fast descending temperature.

The Throne Room was becoming more frigid by the second. Soon even the hot-blooded Princess of Mars was shivering from the cold.

The only one unaffected by the temperature was Mercury, who stood tall and rigid, glaring up at her Queen.

Contrary to the powers she was exhibiting, the Soldier of Mercury's eyes were like blue flames. One glance to them told that her anger was paramount, perhaps even bordering on hatred. But it was more than that, the pure passion that poured from her eyes to pin the Queen in her place was devastating.

The air surrounding the Ice Princess was so cold it began to burn.

And then… nothing. Her eyes simply became hollow, as if everything human and feeling and aware was scooped right out to leave nothing but a shell.

This caused the former Moon Princess to gasp.

"You are **not** the princess I swore to protect." Mercury said. Her voice was flat and caused an involuntary shiver to go up Jupiter's spine. "I don't know who you are anymore Serenity."

Those were her parting words before the room was engulfed in a blinding fog.

The courtiers ran about in a panic, and shouts were heard from every direction as people struggled to find the exit and their loved ones.

Uranus could be heard making desperate orders to surround and protect Serenity and Endymion, while Venus was shrieking commands to unseen guards to bring down Mercury.

Jupiter simply stood there dumbly, shell-shocked by what she had seen and heard today, not able to digest it. She could not have moved if she wanted to.

Eventually the panic and commotion died down as the Queen called for calm and the King called for order.

The fog dissipated not long after that, but with a thorough search of the palace, the city and the monitored surrounding areas, it was concluded that Ami Mizuno, the Princess and Soldier of Mercury, was long gone.

**

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**CrystalMaker:** Well, it's a start I suppose. Don't flame me just yet if you're pissed with how the characters are acting. Whether it's OCC or not there's a good reason for why each of them are the way they are. So let's all just chill out, count to ten and, when you're calm enough to NOT think of roasting me, review and offer some… um… reviews, thoughts, etc. Character development WILL be explained, worry not!

Northguard, for anyone who cares, is pretty much a place of my own creation. It's the most secured and terrible of all the remaining prisons on Earth. Reserved for those who commit the highest of crimes. Obviously situated in the North, very far north, it's the kind of place even the most fearsome criminals would like to avoid.


	2. Lost

**Attention!** I'm thinking I should probably get a Beta reader, and soon, if I'm planning to go all out with this story (and I do). So anyone out there interested in being a doll and helping me out let me know. As an extra incentive I'll be so appreciative that I'll most likely end up loving you forever. Sound juicy? -

**CrystalMaker: **Roses are red, violets are blue. Me no own, you no sue.

I don't own that poem (if you can call it a poem --) either. In fact, I'm pretty sure I read it elsewhere and now it's just popped into my head. I hope whoever I learned it from doesn't mind… On with the story, though I warn you now: It's slow-going (a snail's pace) but it **is** moving. Stick with it and things should get interesting. Enjoy!

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Day 1

Makoto never did manage to sleep the night after Mercury's disappearance. Instead she spent the late hours of dark on her balcony, staring up at the moon, seeking the guidance it had always seemed to give in times of need. By the early hours of morning it had yet to give her insight to her jumbled mind.

Common sense told her that if she tried to physically work out her frustration she'd most likely end up taking out the entire Northern point of the palace; which wouldn't help the situation.

She'd tried calming her mind. Sorting out her thoughts as Rei had taught her. That didn't work either. She was far too restless.

So for the last two hours before the sun began to rise Makoto paced at the foot of her king-sized bed and bit at her nails, just to keep her hands busy.

By the first light of dawn the Storm Princess was dressed and making her way to Venus' rooms at a rapid pace. Servants of the palace scrambled to get out of her way.

Though she took her Senshi duties to the Throne with the utmost seriousness Minako still wasn't one to get up earlier than 8:00 am, unless said duties required it.

After waiting five minutes outside her door, Makoto figured this was one of those days. Thus, she headed for the palace's South-Eastern quadrant, the quadrant under Venus' command.

It was entirely a matter of chance that she found Minako, literally running into her whilst making her way down the hall. Minako, suited as her planetary alter-ego, was making her way out of Ami's rooms.

Venus and her underlings were systematically going through each room in Ami's palace suite, tearing the entire place apart in the process.

When asked, 'Just what the hell was going on?' Venus coldly explained the reason for the intrusion. It was for clues that could possibly point the way to wherever it was that Mercury and her lover were hiding.

After the fruitless search for the Ice warrior last evening a troop, led by Venus herself, stormed Greg's house and those of his relatives.

He came up missing as well. His kin had been taken into custody for questioning.

With the blonde "First Leader" continually making references to Mercury as a traitor, the ongoing discussion that Makoto held with her became increasingly heated.

Eventually, she was forced to walk away before she lost what was left of her cool and did something she figured she'd regret. Like punching the frigid Love Goddess right where she stood.

* * *

The rest of the day passed by in a blur.

All leads in regards to the whereabouts of Mercury and Greg came to dead-ends. The questioning of Greg's relatives gave no new information regarding the pair that investigators hadn't already found out.

Not even Neptune's mirror, powered by ALL of the Scouts, including the King and Queen, could pinpoint Mercury's power signature or Greg's life force.

It soon became clear, even to the extremely stubborn Uranus and Mars, that the Soldier of Wisdom would only be found when she wished to be found.

The search was officially called off that same afternoon, but a round-the-clock look-out was posted.

Seated in front of a simple computer screen, the lucky guards assigned to this position were to watch and report any appearance of a life or power signature belonging to the runaway couple.

It was simple, it was easy, and it was **incredibly** boring.

**

* * *

Late Afternoon**

**Royal Gardens**

When Makoto wanted a place to be alone she came here, to the Royal Gardens of Crystal Tokyo. Much of this outdoor wonder had been grown and raised by her and she adored every inch of it.

In the beginning, when Crystal Tokyo had been in the midst of construction, Makoto had taken it upon herself to create and design what were now the Royal Gardens.

For years she had devoted her attention to this place, and the plant life within had flourished under her loving (and magical) touch.

It wasn't until the Court had been formed and the palace and city had truly been ready for rule that Makoto's attentions were turned elsewhere.

Professional gardeners were now the ones responsible for the area's upkeep, but they never turned down her help when she asked.

They were also respectful enough to leave her be when she traveled the path to the Rose Garden. The Rose Garden was her favourite spot. It held a secret glade that only she knew about. Even the gardeners had yet to find it.

This was where Makoto came when she wished to truly be alone. She came to this place to rest, train, read, meditate, and especially, to think.

And she had **a lot** to think about.

So far, Makoto had figured out that when it all came down to it this entire mess, in regards to herself, was about trust.

Venus and whoever else behind the investigation into Mercury's relationship with Greg hadn't trusted her enough to tell her about it.

This had been both for the fear that she might've gone and told Mercury about it, seeing as how they were so close, thus ruining the whole investigation; and for the suspicion that she'd been aware of Ami's affair and kept the secret for her, perhaps even aided the couple in meeting secretly.

Apparently, all suspicions against her were put to rest.

Her genuine reactions of shock and surprise during the trial yesterday were the best indications of her innocence, as far as the other Scouts were concerned.

Yet this did nothing to relieve the guilt she'd been carrying, ever since Mercury had been brought into the Throne room the day before. In fact, it just made Makoto feel worse.

She was the Scout of Protection for Heaven's sake! Yet she couldn't even protect one of her closest friends.

And why, **why** hadn't she noticed the difference in Ami's behaviour? She was her best friend, wasn't she? She should have seen something, she should have been there for her; but she didn't, and she wasn't, and it left her feeling sick.

And why hadn't Ami told her? Why hadn't she let her know, in some way, that something was going on? Was it because she didn't trust her? Did Ami think that she would have turned her in?

Most importantly though, was what would have happened if she **had** noticed a difference in Ami's behaviour. Or suppose that Ami **had** told her about her relationship with Greg.

Then what?

Makoto didn't have answer for that. Truthfully she couldn't say if she would have mentioned it to the others or not.

Thinking about her torn loyalties between her best friend, and the Neo Millennium Court, just made her queasiness worse; but her mind refused to dwell on anything else.

She stretched out on the grass of her secret glade, watching as the clouds gathered in the sky above, and let out a broken sigh.

Never since the untimely death of her parents, had Makoto felt so lost.

**

* * *

Meanwhile…**

**At the Gates of Time**

An eternity of single-minded guard duty could drive even the strongest of human minds to madness.

Luckily for Setsuna she wasn't a Human, she was Plutonian; the Soldier and Heir to the planet Pluto; Warrior of Time and Space; Eternal Guardian of the Time Gates.

She had been trained for her position since her birth, thousands of years ago.

She had been taught how to pass the infinite amount of time guarding her station without succumbing to insanity. The trick was keeping the mind distracted. As long as her mind was busy with other matters it would not dwell on the fog enshrouded prison it lived in.

For thousands of years Pluto practiced this technique, mastering it quickly.

She trained, honing her skills as a warrior; she inspected the timelines of her dimension, looking for any irregularities that could bring about possible disaster; she attempted contact with the future timelines regularly, for any useful insight they may grant her; and every other century, when she was absolutely positive the Time Gates would be safe from intrusion, Setsuna would travel to Earth.

She only ever chanced to be gone from her post for a few hours at a time, but she relished these mini vacations of hers, short as they may be. And she always brought back souvenirs, to remind her of the fun she had.

When she was particularly bored Setsuna would look into the past, studying and watching ancient battles to see how they truly played out, never mind what the history books said. Her favourite was the infamous Trojan War.

Yet there was another battle of ancient times that the garnet-eyed warrior repeatedly found herself watching. It was the fall of the Silver Millennium.

The first time she dared to replay its events, she'd felt that there was something missing from it. Looking further back, she could find nothing to give her reason to pause. There were no suspicious breaks within the replay to suggest a tampering of the timeline, nor were the events any different than how she had remembered them.

Never the less, despite these assurances to herself there was a small voice niggling at the back of her mind that said differently. This voice had seemed to grow bigger and more urgent when the rise of Crystal Tokyo began. Because of it, Setsuna found herself delving into her oldest memories more and more often.

Each time she returned from one of her mental journeys she became more and more certain that a piece, an integral piece, was missing from the time of the Silver Millennium.

She found that when she tried to grasp onto certain memories that appeared hazy and unclear, they would slip through her fingers like water. It caused her no end of frustration.

Nor did it help that the ever present voice, which had kept quiet for some time now, proceeded to do nothing but holler at her. Its persistent shouts, now impossible to ignore, began anew not long after Mercury's trial.

Something was wrong, or would become wrong very soon. At least, that's what Setsuna felt in her gut. The future timelines refused to give her any answers or clues.

She'd thought through every possible scenario and outcome that she could come up with and though many of them were logical, none of them felt correct or rather, they didn't feel _right_.

With every unending minute that passed the unease and anxiety she felt continued to build. Even fighting the most fearsome creatures of the universe had never caused her to be so stressed.

Pluto wasn't sure which she would end up doing first, pulling all her hair out, or breaking down into tears.

She sat before the doors of the Time Gates; shoulders slumped in defeat, attempting to relax by taking deep, soothing breaths. With her eyes closed and her head down Setsuna was unaware of the intruder until she heard him speak.

"Calm yourself, child. You are of little use to anyone as an emotional wreck."

In a flash, the Warrior of Pluto was on her feet, her Garnet Scepter in hand. Yet one look at the black robes and the imposing figure that wore them and any thought of a battle quickly left her mind.

The somber aura of intense power radiating off the figure had her legs turning to jelly. It took all her strength to stand straight and tall.

Though Setsuna had only met this man once before in her long life, the impression he'd left upon her ensured that she would never in a billion years forget his face.

Before her stood Chronos, the mighty God of Time himself. He was also her grandfather.

"It is time for you to remember, time for you to know the truth."

His voice was so deep that she felt it more than she heard it. The misty fog that forever swept the halls of the Time Gates seemed to sway with every word the great god said.

For the brief moment that she saw his large hand moving towards her she was terrified. She barely registered the light touch upon her forehead before her world went black.

Hours later, Setsuna drifted back to awareness. She had a headache the size of the sun, but she remembered. She remembered everything.

She also knew what was coming, what had been long in the process of coming. She knew how it all had to play out, and she couldn't help but feel saddened by it. What they were looking at was the ultimate end of an era.

She needed to get the others ready for when the time came, and by the looks of it, it would be soon.

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CrystalMaker: Um, yeah. I've always had this horrible habit when writing to mash everything of relevance together. Spacing it out and taking my time getting to all of it has always been a challenge for me.

Just keep in mind I'm trying to do my best to space it out. If it seems I put too much together at once, let me know. Or if I seem to be doing the opposite and taking my sweet-ass time getting from one point to another, again, let me know. Feedback is good people, it's very good.

**P.S.:** I realize I promised, like, background information as far as the radical character development (why everyone's acting so OCC) is concerned and, please note, it will be present in the next chapter. So don't wig, just chill. Peace. v--v


	3. Revelations

**CrystalMaker:** This chapter's gonna be a long one my friends. So sit back, relax, and hopefully it won't be a complete waste of your time! Yay!

Other than that I own nothing but the story idea and a vast amount of chocolate and candy (the majority of it sour), none of which you may have.

There will also be the much anticipated character development background info I promised you, which I'm sure you're all tired of hearing me talk about (God knows I am )-p). Enjoy anyway!

Oh! And before I forget I just want to give a big shout out to everyone who's reviewed. I'm in love with all of you. Special lovin' goes to the beautiful people who've reviewed twice and said nothing but good things. You know who you are. I just wanted to let you know that I've really appreciated it. You're all awesome.

**Side note: **The _italic sections_ are in line with our beloved Mako's train of thought. Just FYI.

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It has now been 24 hours since the disappearance of Mercury and Makoto, attired as Jupiter of course, was forced to attend the Evening Meal that night, as it was required that all the Scouts be present.

She ate little, talked even less, and retired to bed early. To her relief sleep came quickly to claim her.

Unfortunately, as her mind ran non-stop during the day, so it did as she slept. Troubled dreams were all that plagued her.

The first dream she had began as the Trial against Mercury, but the end result was drastically different. Mercury spit out her parting words, and then disappeared into the fog she created; but even as the Ice Warrior left, her harsh speech remained.

The words echoed around Makoto, taking form from the fog surrounding her; swirling around her like a whirlwind, repeating over and over again.

The disembodied voice that spoke these words seemed to get louder and louder until Makoto was forced to clap her hands over her ears, begging the voice to leave her be, pleading for it all to-

"STOP!"

The shrill cry tore the Thunder Princess from her nightmare. Still half-asleep, she whipped her head to either side, frantically looking for the one who gave the shout.

The soreness in the back of her throat told her that it was she who had cried out. Makoto was also surprised to find that her face and pillow were damp with the salty essence of sweat and tears.

It further disturbed her to notice that the position her body unconsciously took as she lay back down was the same one she'd just woken up in. Lying on her side, curled tightly into a ball, hands over her ears. She forced her body to straighten and turn.

Now with her hands clutched tightly against her stomach, the Jovian Warrior stared up at her canopy and prayed to whatever deity might be listening that the rest of her sleep be dream-free.

…Too bad that another of her fellow Senshi had disturbing news to tell her. If her old comrade hadn't looked so anxious and so worried, Makoto would have been sorely tempted to blast the dream-Pluto out of her mind and out of this galaxy.

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**Day 2 **

It was late mid-morning by the time Makoto woke with a start from her less-than-peaceful slumber.

Having mentally exhausted herself over the past 24 hours, her thoughts were lethargic and slow, but still there.

Her auburn topped head was filled with the psychic scent of trouble looming on the horizon, and Pluto's short but sweet forewarning of _'Be ready'_ resounded in her brain.

She stumbled around her rooms, attempting to get dressed for the day. The whole time she grumbled and cursed under her breath, extremely annoyed at herself and her nightmares, for they caused her to sleep in late; far too late.

This was a weakness she couldn't afford right now, if what the dream-Pluto had said was true.

Usually, Makoto would be one of the first to walk the palace halls in the early morning hours. Everyday, (except today, of course) she would rise at the crack of dawn. In her opinion, it was the perfect time to train, to practice and, most importantly, to meditate.

Long ago she had learned that the most vital aspect of an excellent warrior was their mind.

She'd always had a quick temper, and for the longest time Makoto had believed that the anger burning in her heart and in the pit of her stomach was what made her so victorious in battle.

She'd been proven wrong though, time and time again.

Diving headlong into a fight had been her trademark for years; only when she began to go against the evil forces as Sailor Jupiter did she slowly realize her mistakes.

Her anger made her sloppy, it dimmed her awareness of her surroundings and more than once it had caused her death.

Surprisingly, the one who had actually called her on her actions had not been Haruka, but Ami. And while Rei had taught her the art of meditation, it was the Ice Princess who'd introduced her to it.

Ami had shown her how to appreciate it for all the benefits it could give, especially to warriors. Health and tranquility of the mind aided in the health of the body which, in turn, could heighten performance in battle.

…But it was much too late in the day to even think about meditation now. Despite how much Makoto felt she could use it.

Thinking back to the first dream she'd had last night, she gave a weary sigh.

Ami.

Yesterday, she'd spent hours upon hours trying to answer for herself the questions she had regarding her friend's shocking behaviour, especially towards their Queen.

The only answer that came to her was Mercury's last words before she disappeared. The same words that had reverberated relentlessly in her dream last night.

'_You are **not** the princess I swore to protect.' _Ami's voice had been so emotionless when she spoke._ 'I don't know who you are anymore Serenity.' _She'd sounded so distant, so cold.

So unlike the blue haired girl she-

"By the Gods!" Makoto gasped.

It wasn't until this moment, as she recalled the icy shards of blue that looked out from her friend's face- that the realization struck her.

Serenity **_wasn't_** the same. She was someone else entirely. The Queen that sat upon the throne of Crystal Tokyo was no where near the same woman whom the Princess of Jupiter had sworn loyalty to.

And it wasn't just Serenity, either.

The more Makoto thought about it, the more she realized that they had all changed. And not for the better.

She gave a sardonic smile to her mirrored reflection as she brushed out her tangled tresses. Trust it to be the genius of Mercury to open her eyes to the truth.

Mannerisms, characteristics, personalities, even their appearances! Everyone was so different …so warped, compared to the way they once were.

It was all so shockingly obvious. Makoto could have slapped herself for not seeing it until now. Then again, how could anyone have really noticed?

As close as they had all been, the changes, plentiful as they were, had happened gradually.

Nearly two thousand years have passed since the day that Serenity woke the world from its icy slumber.

With the first spire that rose above Crystal Tokyo, the Senshi, Endymion and Serenity, had all become busy in their respective roles. And slowly, so slowly, everyone morphed.

Makoto saw this now, her thoughts going through mental comparisons of the past and present versions of each of her companions, and tears began to fill her eyes.

Her revelation was too little too late, so much damage had already been done.

So much within each of them had died.

She swiped at her eyes before any of the offending droplets could fall and promptly fastened her custom ponytail before swiftly exiting her chambers.

_

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_

_First there was Minako, the Soldier and Heir to the planet Venus; Warrior of Love and Beauty. Her respective power's colors, yellow and orange, used to convey the very warmth of her soul. She'd been so much like a ball of sunshine, what with her cheery personality and good-natured attitude. Way back then, it was rare you wouldn't see her without a smile on her face, or a sparkle in her blue, blue eyes._

_Now she was nothing but cold. Her beauty was still there, but it was unapproachable. The kind of beauty one found on a statue. Her eyes never sparkled anymore, they only ever gleamed dangerously. More than once Makoto swore she saw the servants and guards of the palace shiver as Minako walked by. Where once she spread warmth, now she simply drove it away._

_Since the beginning of the Neo Silver Millennium she had been Serenity's top right hand man (or woman as the case may be). She never strayed far from the new Queen's side and her position as first in command of the Scouts was solidified because of this. Given the added responsibility of the South-Eastern quadrant of the city, and designated the Head General for both the King and Queen's armies, she was kept **very** busy. _

_At first it overwhelmed her; Makoto could remember one night in particular where Mina had come to her rooms in tears because of the stress it was causing her. Yet even then she'd refused to back down from any of her duties, afraid of disappointing Serenity. She wanted to be competent for her Princess, and she became very competent indeed. Throwing herself into her work, it eventually consumed the Love Goddess' life, leaving only little time to eat and sleep and nothing else._

* * *

Seeing as her mind was already preoccupied, Makoto's body went to auto-pilot. Thus, she headed straight for the Northern quadrant, foregoing breakfast altogether._

* * *

_

_Then there was Rei, the feisty Shinto Priestess, Soldier and Heir to the planet Mars; Warrior of Fire and Passion; her temper matched the sacred flame that blazed within her temple shrine. She was strict, organized, and well-mannered; unless you got her going, of course. Her crows, considered an odd choice of pet by others, had been her pride and joy. Her amethyst eyes were constantly flashing and her tongue could be sharper than any blade. Nevertheless, when all was said and done, Rei was a true friend._

_The Hikawa Shrine was long gone though, as were Phobos and Deimos, Rei's sentient crows. The Martian Princess had been assigned the South-Western quadrant of the crystal city, and she'd also taken it upon herself to train those wishing to be priestesses and set up a shrine of her own, not far from the palace, where her charms were sold and her priestesses-in-training lived. _

_For some time in the beginning, young girls flocked to Rei's shrine, eager and excited to be taught by someone so exotically beautiful, who also happened to be one of the Earth's revered saviours. Soon though, the religion, along with many others, practically became abandoned, so many turning only to their Queen for guidance; for she was immortal, she created miracles. _

_From what Makoto could remember, this had caused Rei no end of disgust and on more than one occasion she would argue with Serenity over it. The disagreements always dissolved quickly, the raven-haired warrior eventually backing off. Soon Rei never brought up the subject._

_Other than when on duty in the city and the palace, she was never seen, keeping entirely to her shrine. She never talked more than she had to and even when she did the words were spit out. Constantly in a rage that it almost seemed like a madness; where once a man was intimidated by her, now they were terrified. It was Makoto's belief that Rei's unending meditation alongside her element was the only thing that held the Fire Senshi's savage anger in check._

* * *

Striding into her quadrant's command station, attired in the green-clad form of Jupiter she was promptly given the updated info on her section that required her perusal. Seating herself, she pretended to read through the document, feigning interest._

* * *

_

_Next there came Haruka and Michiru, Soldiers and Heirs to the twin planets Uranus and Neptune. One the Warrior of the Winds, the other, Warrior of the Seas. In the beginning the Inner Scouts and even Sailor Moon herself had had a hard time distinguishing whether the pair were enemies or not. Certainly, some of their actions had been questionable, but this was only because of their strong desire to see the Earth protected._

_In the past, for all their efforts to distance themselves from others, Makoto could still remember being inexplicably drawn to the two of them. Perhaps this had to do with the mystical qualities they seemed to possess. The power of their planets constantly emanated from them, especially when they played their music together. Haruka at the piano, Michiru with her violin. That was when the auras of their stars truly flared to life. And it was intoxicating, hypnotizing. Makoto had always aspired to be just like them, and she was sure that Rei, Minako, and Ami had secretly wished the same. _

_Back then it had taken some time but, eventually, the blonde and teal-haired companions finally began to open up to the other Senshi. This was mostly due to the encouragement of Usagi, whom Haruka and Michiru found hard to deny, as they were so fiercely devoted to their Princess. By the time the 2nd Ice Age came the merry little band that Sailor Moon had originally created grew by two more people. The extended friendships lasted well into the starting years of Crystal Tokyo, before they all began to drift away from each other._

_Nowadays, the couple only socialized, as need be, with the recruits that they'd long ago been assigned to train and mould into battle-efficient Royal Guards. They no longer conversed with anyone but each other and, when they were called upon to do so, with the King and Queen. _

_Other than that, the inseparable duo kept to the rooms that they shared, never venturing out unless it was to train the recruits or to look after their specified quadrants. Haruka in the East, Michiru in the West. The two of them barely acknowledged their fellow Senshi anymore, and when they did, their eyes became hollow and distant with nothing but the tiniest flare of recognition within them._

* * *

Makoto shivered just picturing 'the look' in her mind; the papers in hand mimicked her body's quaking. It was truly an unsettling sight when it occurred.

She placed the document atop her desk and rested her head in her hands.

Certainly, it was heart-wrenching to receive 'the look', especially from once dear friends, but it wasn't nearly as heart-breaking as the sorry situation one ebony-haired girl seemed eternally stuck in.

_

* * *

_

_Poor Hotaru never seemed to catch a break. Her life had constantly been one tragedy after another. First the untimely death of her mother, followed by the twisted possession of her father. The man began conducting experiments on his own child, eventually summoning forth the evil entity known as Mistress 9 from deep within his daughter. Makoto could remember the first time she'd ever laid eyes on the young Hotaru; the girl had looked so unhealthy, and so terribly fragile. It was hard to believe that she'd housed two frighteningly powerful beings within her frail body._

_Yet even before Hotaru discovered the secrets of herself, her violet eyes had always been sad, had always been haunted. Only Rini had been able to bring a genuine happiness to her friend's dark eyes. It was amazing really, the transformation she would go through when her pink companion entered the scene. _

_Then the formidable Sailor Saturn emerged and gave up her life to defeat the enemy, returning in the form of a baby. Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto took her then and none of the others knew what became of Hotaru, until she returned once again as Sailor Saturn with the Outer Scouts beside her. _

_Even long time separated though they were, the Soldier and Heir of Saturn; Warrior of Death, Destruction, and Rebirth, and the young Heir to the Neo Silver Millennium; continued their companionship as if nothing had happened. Once again they became the best of friends, each complimenting the other nicely. This remarkable occurrence happened once more when the great City of Crystal was formed and Rini was born. _

_It was because of the close bond that the two girls seemed to share, that the most logical decision was made. Saturn's fearsome power was assigned to the Pink Princess as a personal Bodyguard of sorts. This of course, allowed them to spend their time together whilst also ensuring the future Queen's constant safety. Hotaru was more than happy about the arrangement and took great pride in it. Small Lady was just as ecstatic. Thus, it had all worked out perfectly. At least, it did for the first thousand years. _

_It was around that time that Rini finally came into her powers, proving to any in doubt that she was indeed the true Heir to her mother's throne. The same children who'd picked on her before now gave desperate attempts to become her friend. People began to take positive notice of Small Lady, and she loved the attention. She soaked it up greedily. Her lonely visits to Pluto stopped altogether, and she no longer acknowledged Hotaru's existence as anything more than a pesky shadow. _

_To be demoted by your best friend from close companion to lowly servant, that could be enough to break anybody. Perhaps this was the final straw that caused the pale Soldier's mental demise. Hotaru's eyes were now empty voids of violet; so far gone they had not enough emotion to look even the least bit haunted. She had become a living robot, operating only under the orders of the Queen or Small Lady. She registered the existence of no one else._

* * *

Noticing the curious stares of the new recruits designated to her unit, Makoto once again picked up the papers in front of her and tried, in vain, to digest the information on the pages.

She threw them back down again in frustration and walked over to her office window. Drawing back the drapes she revealed the paned glass that stretched from floor to ceiling, and offered a breath-taking view of the city.

_

* * *

_

_Setsuna, she was another matter entirely. As Sailor Pluto she was, above all else, the Guardian of the Time Gates. Any other duty came 2nd. _

_Not surprisingly, Makoto couldn't come up with any major differences between the Pluto of the past, and the Pluto of the future. Perhaps this was because the Warrior of Time was timeless herself. _

_The only change apparent in Setsuna was her face or rather, her expressions. Quiet and dignified though she was, the tall Senshi always had an air of sorrow about her. Rarely did she smile but, even when she did, the sadness in her eyes was still palpable. _

_Now though, from the brief encounters between them, few though they were, Makoto could sense that Pluto's sorrow had deepened. It almost felt as if she had suffered a loss, not uncommon to one who is ageless but, it seemed to affect her more seriously than other losses would. _

_Just who the solemn warrior felt she lost was easy enough to guess. Now that Small Lady was no longer considered an outcast to the city's inhabitants, she had no reason to venture down the abandoned halls of the palace to the Time Gates. She had no need for Pluto's company anymore. _

_The selfish princess did not even stop to think that, while she no longer required the interaction, Setsuna thrived on it. It was one less thing she could look forward to. Indeed, the evaporation of her one true relationship with another living being tore at her soul. It left a hollow place in a heart that had long been forgotten. _

_In fact, if one looked closely at the Soldier of Pluto nowadays, they would notice the near imperceptible hunch of her shoulders, caused by the constant pain radiating in her chest. The pain of losing the only thing truly dear to her._

* * *

Tired of the questioning glances thrown her way Makoto closed the door to her office with more force than was necessary. She strode back to the window, looking out at the glittering expanse of crystal but not actually **_seeing_** it._

* * *

She was the Soldier and Heir of the mighty planet Jupiter; Warrior of the Storms and Nature; the Scout of Protection. Indeed, this last Title she took the most seriously of all. Having lost all she held dear at such a young age, the toughened Makoto vowed to let no harm come to her new family, the Sailor Scouts. Above all else she strove to protect not just her Princess, but the others as well._

_The drive to protect, to keep all her loved ones safe eventually consumed her. This happened not long after Crystal Tokyo was created. _

_The rise of the great city sparked an urgency in Makoto, driving her to create a strict training regiment, willing herself to grow stronger. She still made time for her friends, still socialized and kept up with the duties expected of her but; the need she felt to surpass all her physical and mental limits as a Planetary Warrior became her obsession. _

_Even so far into the Neo Silver Millennium as they were Jupiter could never stop the ridiculous feeling that the entire thing was a fluke, a hoax. _

_Some days she felt so sure that she would wake the next morning to find the ruins of the city around her, utterly destroyed as she slept, all her friends dead and dying. Those were the days she trained the hardest, ruthlessly pushing herself until she could do naught but collapse in exhaustion._

_Now it seemed that, despite her efforts to remain connected to her 'family', her obsession still managed to take over her life. The most incriminating evidence of this fact was her lack of perception to Ami's behaviour. The fact that she noticed nothing new in regards to her closest friend showed just how out of touch she was with the people dear her. This brought her no end of shame._

* * *

Looking to the clock mounted on her wall she was surprised to see that lunchtime had come and gone. She had been lost in her thoughts for well over four hours now and had not done a lick of work. But she didn't care.

None of it mattered. None of it had ever mattered. Ami had tried to tell her that once, but she didn't listen. She should have listened.

_

* * *

The intelligent Scout of Wisdom, the quiet Child of Mercury; Ami was the only one to notice the subtle brainwashing, the distinctive change between a peaceful Utopia to a harsh dictatorship. She was the only one to recognize and break through the invisible stranglehold that loyalty to the Moon Princess inevitably brought._

_She had forever been the studious one; the responsible, logical girl in a band of rowdy, hormone-driven teenagers. She was constantly berated by her friends to lighten up, to let loose and, when she politely refused them, they jokingly referred to her as a 'wet-blanket'. Such comments never appeared to bother Ami, she knew her friends meant well. It was simply a matter of their differing opinions on what **fun** consisted of. _

_Looking back now, Makoto considered that the repression of Ami's wilder side was held back for so long, it finally burst forth. When the blunette saw the damaging effects to the society, caused by Neo-Queen Serenity's bungled ruling, and faced with the inability to solve or even stop the dilemma, she snapped. Her rebellious side stepped up because the old Ami, the old Ami would only end up in a similar situation like the rest of the Scouts: afflicted, hollow, and reclusive. _

_Forgetting the fears and doubts she always carried with her, even into the Neo Silver Millennium, she faced life with a new vigour. The various scientific assignments she was given to perform on behalf of the entire city of Crystal Tokyo were finished quickly and without second thought. Her duties as the Department Head, as well as an on and off Doctor at the city's own Crystal Healing Hospital did little to dampen her spirits._

_Mercury could be awfully stubborn when she wished to be, especially when it came to a fight for her very soul. A fight made all the more easier when Greg entered her life. Love came swiftly for them it seemed. Of course, it helped that they'd been previous acquaintances before the 2nd Ice Age had hit. Within weeks of becoming reacquainted with each other, they were sneaking into the other's place of work, and making secret rendezvous at all hours of the day. _

_Love has its price however, and it caused the couple to become careless in their meetings. Carelessness was a trait foreign to Ami, but such a powerful emotion as love could fog even the clearest thinking minds. Unbeknownst to them, their actions were followed for nearly a month before the order was given to halt their relationship. _

_Greg was placed in house arrest and Mercury was taken to be Trialed. The rest is recent history._

* * *

It wasn't until the sun blazed on the horizon that Makoto left her quadrant, but not before shattering one of the large glass panes of her window.

She didn't do it out of anger or frustration, though she felt plenty of both. Rather, she did it because she wanted to, because she could, because it would be for a reason so unlike the reserved soldier that she had become.

A single bolt of lightning and the thick glass tinkered to the floor. Shards flew everywhere and small cuts now covered her body because of this. The joy she felt, the satisfaction that thrummed through her when she did what she did was so potent, that it terrified her.

That final rush, that surge of her emotions, sucked any remaining energy Makoto had right out of her. She was emotionally and mentally drained; she'd gotten a maximum of three hours actual sleep in the last two nights; and she'd not touched a morsel of food all day. Added together that gave her a good reason for her sheer exhaustion.

Attending the mandatory Evening Meal never even crossed the Thunder Senshi's mind. All she had the power to think of was her bed. She crashed and rolled onto said bed with no little amount of effort.

Too tired to even shift her head to a nearby pillow, Makoto went out like a light, but not before whispering to herself, and to everyone else, "I don't know who you are anymore."

**

* * *

**

**CrystalMaker:** Good Lord! I didn't think it would be this long! If you're annoyed by the poor quality and rushiness of this chapter all I have to say is, you cannot be as T.Oed as I am. It just kept going and going, and I couldn't very well stop because I wanted to get it all out into the open now, so that I could move on.

Right, so you don't have to be happy with this chapter (God knows I'm not), and I want you to tell me if it does indeed suck, or if it's all just in my head. Cool? Cool.

Hopefully future chappies will be of better, less repetitive quality. So keep tuning in! I am deeply in love with all of you.

Peace, baby.


	4. Clues

**CrystalMaker:** The only things that I own in regards to Sailor Moon are a few mangas and a couple posters. That is all.

I should've probably mentioned this before, but this fic is based off of both the manga and the TV Sailor Moon storylines. Kind of a mix between the two. Just FYI.

And lastly I'd like to give a shout out to… Everyone who's reviewed! Allow me to express my deep love to you all, especially to Yami Hime Hikari, the wondrous being who has agreed to take on the arduous task of being my Beta-reader. Words cannot express the feelings I have for you. Again, just FYI.

**

* * *

**

**Dream Sequence**

**Time Gates**

The shifting forms of the fog swirled around her. It curled lazily about her legs as she slowly turned, looking out into the misty darkness of infinity.

Perhaps it took one a while to get used to the Time Gates. Surely more than a few spare visits to its doors were required before one grew accustomed to its foreboding setting and feel.

Makoto was not at that stage yet. She still found the Gates of Time far too intimidating to feel even the slightest bit of comfort when present. The fact that she had yet to encounter its resident Guardian made her all the more edgy.

Where was Setsuna?

A tingling at the base of her spine told her that she was being watched. The distinct sound of light breathing confirmed her suspicions and she could practically feel the person's gaze boring two holes into her back.

The knowing smirk on Makoto's face fell away as she turned to face the one behind her.

"I think you're starting to loose your touch…Mercury?"

She was completely floored to confront not Pluto, as she'd expected, but Ami outfitted in her planetary guise. The thousand-and-one questions that she had for her friend couldn't leave her mouth fast enough.

"Mercury, what are you doing here? Where have you been? Gods, I've been so worried! Are you alright? Are you—? Wait! No, come back! Ami!"

As quickly as she had appeared, the navy-haired warrior vanished. Her blue-clad figure fading as a thick cloud of fog rolled over her, achingly similar to her disappearing act not two days prior. This time though, her face was alight with her patented patient kindness, not anger or fury.

Makoto cried out in desperation as she reached for her comrade but, it was all for naught. The fog parted to reveal that Mercury was no longer there, if she'd ever truly been there before.

Oddly enough though, a strange object now replaced the spot where the Ice Warrior stood not seconds earlier. Curiosity overcoming her budding despair, the soldier of Jupiter approached for a better look.

Upon closer inspection the 'object' actually turned out to be similar to a well of sorts. The difference being that the 'well' could not have been any deeper than a few feet into the ground, as its bottom could easily be seen. That and the fact that the liquid the 'well' held within its stone structure was obviously _not_ water.

Unless Makoto missed her guess, but she was sure that water wasn't supposed to produce its own illumination; which is just what the suspicious substance before her seemed to be doing. With every small ripple and wave that rocked its clear surface, a soft light emitted, producing a haunting glow that spanned into and around the 'well.'

Her body moved of its own accord, reaching out to touch the strange liquid, mesmerized by its movements. She had barely placed a fingertip to its surface before it began to react to the contact.

Her green eyes widened as the 'water' stilled and the infrequent glimmers of radiance converged over its entire expanse. Then the light grew brighter, so bright in fact, that Makoto was forced to look away.

Once the illumination faded she returned her gaze and gasped.

The 'well' had become its own version of a movie screen. Images flashed across the now-motionless liquid, playing through a familiar scene.

From the eyes of an unknown observer Mercury's Trial went through its predictable sequence, but when the fog rolled into the Throne Room and the commotion began, it did not stop there.

The scene flashed to another, showing the face of a handsome young man. Greg. He appeared to be in what must have been his home, and he looked absolutely miserable. But the misery changed as he whipped his head around. He had obviously heard something.

Apparently whatever this 'well' really was, it could only produce images, not sounds.

The close-up on Greg expanded and a frazzled Sailor Mercury entered the scene. Her eyes were wild with panic as she practically dragged Greg from his house. He stumbled in his haste to keep up with his lover and it was obvious he was confused. They passed the downed figures of two Royal Guards that had been stationed outside of his house and paused.

At this point Makoto had concluded that she was indeed watching the mysterious escape that her friend had orchestrated. She tried her damnedest to keep from blinking overly much; afraid she would miss something integral to the scenes. The 'well' had to be showing her this for a reason, after all.

A quick conversation between the two occurred before Mercury clasped onto her planet's crystal, the blue brooch upon her chest, and the source of all her power. Her cobalt eyes closed in concentration as she started to glow, the symbol of her birthright flaring to life upon her forehead.

The ice-blue aura began from where her hand covered her crystal, and expanded to surround her entire body. And as the frosty radiance spread it took with it her Senshi uniform, transforming it into a beautiful gown that fluttered in the wind.

Ami was now in her ultimate form as the Princess of Mercury. Greg stood in front of her and, though his face was not visible, it was easy to tell he was transfixed by the blue vision before him.

Ami's eyes opened once more and she smiled to her lover, offering him her hand. He took it without hesitation and moved to her side. The love the two shared for each other was so potent; a blind man could have seen it as they gazed at one another.

Their embrace had Ami's head turning to rest upon Greg's shoulder. She seemed so happy and yet tears glittered in her eyes. Then she looked up, and straight into the invisible camera that watched them.

Makoto heard another gasp escape her as she felt those navy orbs pierce right into her green ones. Ami's intense stare seemed to last for an eternity before her face broke into a soft smile and she mouthed one word. One very _important_ word.

Then her aura flared to life again and she and Greg vanished in a swirling shimmer of snowflakes.

Having served its purpose, the glowing 'water' regained its hypnotic movements, breaking the image it cast apart, which was fading anyways. Its bright light leaked away and returned to emitting a softer flickering illumination.

"Ah, there you are, Jupiter," said a voice from behind, "I'd wondered where you'd gone off to."

Caught off guard, Makoto gave a small jump in reaction to the unexpected speaker.

"Damn!" she exclaimed, "Would it kill you to approach a person from their front once in a while?"

Turning, she gave Pluto her nastiest glare, which the green-haired warrior ignored completely. In fact, Setsuna did not seem in the best of moods either. A dark frown shadowed her face as she came closer to her visitor.

"Do you know how far into the Time Gates you are?" she demanded, "You're lucky I was able to track you down, otherwise you could have been wandering this place for the rest of eternity! What are you doing way out here?"

Makoto's face flushed a deep red in embarrassment at the taller Senshi's chastising. Though it may not have been her fault that she was where she was, the Time Guardian had a way of making you feel like you were 5 years old again.

"I- er," she tried to explain, "I didn't realize. I'm sorry, Pluto, but this is where I ended up when you sent for me."

She mentioned nothing about Mercury's apparition, nor did she say anything about what the curious 'well' had shown her. She would keep that a secret for now, until she could figure out what Ami had been trying to tell her.

Setsuna narrowed her garnet eyes at her, gauging the sincerity of her words. Satisfied that the Jovian girl was telling the truth, she let the subject drop with a simple "Odd," and proceeded to lead Makoto back to the Gates' entrance.

The only sounds to be heard were those of their footsteps, which echoed eerily before dying off. Makoto found it unbearable. Thus, she tried to fill the silence with conversation.

"So," she asked, "why am I here again? You've already told me about the approaching enemy; did you learn something else about it?"

"I've learned nothing new. You know as much about what's coming as I do, which is very little, I'll admit."

"Then why—?"

"I brought you here," the dark woman interrupted, "so that I may enforce the seriousness of this situation. What is coming is like nothing the Senshi have ever faced. You must be on your guard. You must **_be ready_**, Makoto."

Taken aback by the fierceness of Pluto's statement, it took her a moment to make a response. She placed a reassuring smile on her face, hoping to sooth the Guardian's agitation.

"I **am** ready Pluto. I'll always be ready for the enemy but," she tried to phrase this as delicately as possible, "our enemies, in the past, some seemed to be too much for our combined strength to handle, even with the aid of outsiders." An image of the Starlights flashed through her mind. "And yet, we always manage to defeat them in the end. Serenity—"

"I'm afraid even our Queen's great power will not be enough to save us this time."

The soldier of Jupiter found herself rendered speechless. Serenity's power wouldn't be enough? But the energy of her Silver Imperium Crystal was always enough! Surely Setsuna was mistaken. She was about to say just that when the woman in question cut her off before the words could leave her mouth.

"You must trust me on this, Makoto. I know it is hard to believe but…" Here she shook her head sadly. "We can no longer rely on the Queen or the Silver Crystal to bring the Sol Senshi to victory."

"But why not?" The question exploded out of her.

Pluto looked at her, an emotion akin to pity in her eyes.

"You truly don't know, Makoto? The Queen's might is nowhere near what it used to be. Endymion and Serenity," she sighed brokenly, "together, they have lost their way. The strength of their hearts, the true force behind their Crystals, has diminished, been weakened by their growing vanity and egotism.

"At first I did not want to believe this either, but we've both seen the extent of their conceit. The Trial against Mercury was quite the wake-up call to that. I'm just surprised that the others haven't recognized it as well."

Makoto stood there, absorbing the truth in all that Setsuna had to say. The King and Queen were indeed arrogant and selfish beyond words now, but it hadn't become clear to her until Mercury's sentencing at the Trial.

When Pluto mentioned the others, though, her head snapped up to stare at her taller comrade. She suddenly felt the need to ask a very foolish question.

"Pluto," she inquired, "have you told the other Senshi about the coming of this new enemy?"

The Time Guardian seemed to hesitate with an answer. Panic clenched tightly at Makoto's chest. She tried again.

"You **have** told them of the enemy, haven't you?"

Setsuna's jaw clenched and she scowled down at the fog-enshrouded floor before shaking her head no.

"A warning will do them no good," she said. "Their minds are too far gone. Only the sudden arrival of this unexpected power will truly spur them to action."

"So, besides you, I'm the only one who knows what's coming?"

Again, Setsuna shook her head in a negative response.

"Mercury is also aware of the impending danger and Saturn should be able to sense it as well, though she's given no outward indication of such."

The soldier of Pluto suddenly cocked her head to the side, as if she were listening to something. She nodded and turned back to her visitor.

"It's time you woke up now, Makoto. Venus wishes to speak with you, and she seems very upset. We'll continue this discussion later." An impish smile then graced the solemn warrior's face, a rare twinkle in her eyes as she continued; "Oh, and greetings are given to you from Mercury."

And before she could react the Time Scepter descended upon her head and Makoto was thrown back into the loving embrace of the dreamless void known as sleep… which lasted all of five seconds before she became aware of the harsh pounding at her door.

Still groggy and disoriented Makoto buried her face into a nearby pillow and groaned in dismay. Today was going to be a **_very_** long day.

* * *

**CrystalMaker:** Riiighht, this was more a filler chapter than anything else. Nevertheless, it should be taken with the utmost seriousness and deserves your praise or criticism, just like every chapter before it.

Let me know what you think. As I said before my friends, feedback is a good thing.


	5. Discovery

**CrystalMaker:** First off, I hope everyone out there had a happy holiday and a great New Year's! And all rights to Sailor Moon belong to people who aren't me (mores the pity --).

Secondly, as has been tradition for the last couple of chapters, I will now express the Mariana Trench deep feelings I have for the readers and, most especially, the reviewers. To be truthful, you guys are a big part of what spurs me to get my fingers typing. I just want to make you happy! Well, and make myself happy too, but that's on a much smaller scale.

And lastly… Yami Hime Hikari! She's my Beta-reader and a great one at that. All bow down and revere her, for she is the Dark Princess! Muahahaha!

Oh, and one more thing; for everyone with confusion over the last chapter in regards to Pluto and her decision to leave the other Senshi in the dark about their new enemy. I was asked why she didn't tell Uranus and Neptune of the new threat, since they, above all the others, would want to know. Here's a lengthier explanation for Pluto's actions (or lack thereof) concerning these two:

Uranus and Neptune will always want to protect the people, but their mental state of the present hinders their reactions in response to any dangers. The two of them are distant with everyone else, but, more than that, they've become out of touch with their surroundings. Because of this they are now mere shadows of their once formidable selves (like so many of the others).

Their crumbling sanity has dwindled the focus of their ultimate mission, to protect the Princess and her people. This means that they only see the danger when: a) The Princess tells them there is a new enemy to be concerned about. Or b) They come face to face with the enemy itself.

Yes, in the past they certainly would have taken Pluto's warnings to heart, but at this point, they now see Pluto as everyone else does—the stoic Guardian of the Time Gates—and memories of close companionship with her are fragmented and hazy at best. In this time Pluto's warnings now fall on deaf ears, and she knows this. Thus, she keeps the information to herself.

I hope this clears up any remaining confusion on the matter. I probably should've made this clearer in the story. Forgive me?

Right. Sorry to delay you. Now (finally), here is the fifth installment of "Mistakes." Enjoy!

* * *

**Day 3**

By the time Makoto made it to her door, still tired and drowsy, she was sure that Venus had dented the polished wood beyond recognition. Her ruthless pounding was so brutal that the bedraggled brunette was surprised the Love Goddess hadn't just kicked down the ornately carved structures in her obvious haste to talk to her.

With much trepidation, Makoto opened her door and narrowly avoided a gloved fist still aimed for a wooden surface. She coolly met the enraged gaze of the owner of that fist, scrounging up whatever dignity she could with her appearance as disheveled as it was.

"Good morning, Venus," she said, her voice still scratchy from sleep. "To what do I owe the pleasure of you beating down my door?"

The Senshi of Love, flanked by two blank-faced soldiers from her quadrant, narrowed her eyes to slits, and her voice was harsh with anger when she spoke.

"Don't get smart with me, Jupiter; you're in enough trouble as it is. Not only did you neglect to hand the reports for your quadrant in last night but, you failed to attend the **_mandatory_** Evening Meal. And now I also hear that you threw a fit and broke one of your office windows! Explain yourself!"

"She **_will_** explain herself, Venus, but not to you."

Four pairs of eyes turned to the new speaker. There stood Mars, haughty demeanor and all, with the fire of a challenge in her eyes; just begging for her blonde comrade to question her intrusion on the matter; and she did.

"Excuse me?" Her voice had gone dangerously low, but Mars matched it, tone for tone.

"You heard me," she said, and abruptly her violent gaze switched to Makoto, "Their Majesties wish to speak with you."

"Alright," the Jovian Princess replied, "I just need to clean myself up first. I'll only be a minute."

Mars said nothing to this; she simply went back to staring down Venus. Makoto hesitated, briefly considering going to see the King and Queen as she was, her appearance be damned; she just didn't want her friends to come to blows. And with the way they were glaring bloody murder at each other, it was quite possible they would.

Biting her lip, she quickly slipped back into her rooms, praying she didn't make a huge mistake by doing so. Though she really _did_ look like a mess. At super speed Makoto rushed about to make herself more presentable. Because the longer she took, the closer Rei and Minako would get to having a bonafide catfight.

It was no secret to anyone in the city that the Soldiers of Mars and Venus disliked each other. It was a constant one on one battle between the two that had started centuries ago. First it began as a simple clash of personalities, then a differing of opinions that became more heated between them as time went on.

Face clean, teeth and tangled tresses brushed and bound, followed by whispered words and the brief but bright flash of lightning was all it took. Makoto, now as Sailor Jupiter was back in the palace hallway in less than 60 seconds. She stepped up to Mars, blocking the woman's gaze from her orange-clad opponent.

Her sudden appearance snapped Mars out of her staring trance, and without a word, the raven-haired warrior turned and led Jupiter away.

Venus stood there, watching their retreating backs, an ugly scowl marring her beautiful face. She never questioned her Majesties' orders, so she let the Soldier of the Storms go without a fight. But that didn't mean she wouldn't track her back down to talk to her. Jupiter was hiding something, she could feel it, but this wasn't the time to act on her suspicions. She would back off… for now.

Jupiter was surprised to find that instead of traveling the familiar walkways to the Throne Room, she was being lead deeper into the Crystal Palace, to the King and Queen's rooms themselves.

She raised an eyebrow at this. These days it seemed that Serenity and Endymion never left the Throne Room or any other public areas of the palace, preferring to be fawned over endlessly by the courtiers than to have any real privacy. Apparently they decided to take a break today or, the worse alternative, one of them was sick.

Jupiter hoped it wasn't the latter. Though she may no longer approve of their ruling, that didn't mean that she wished them ill.

She arrived at their doors, massive constructions of opaque crystal, just in time to see a familiar face walk out of them. Now her curiosity was piqued; what was Helios doing here? She turned to ask Mars if she knew anything about it but, the angry woman was already walking back down the halls that they'd come from.

The Guardian of Elysian's eyes were downcast but as they passed each other he looked up and gave her a sad smile. She returned a bright smile of her own, hoping it could help to lighten up his mood.

No such luck: his gaze returned to the floor again as he walked away. But Jupiter had no time to dwell on this as she was quickly ushered into their Majesties' company by a pair of well-groomed, well-muscled guards.

She had been to the King and Queen's rooms many times in the past, but the immense size and beauty of their suite still took her breath away. The very sitting room that she stood in now could easily encompass all of her own rooms with space to spare.

It seemed that the décor within this large crystal cavern had not changed since the last time Jupiter had been there.

Still, the magnificent crystal chandelier hung by silver chains from the ceiling, glittering brilliantly in the morning light; the large glass topped coffee table was where it had always been, situated in the very center of the room; the familiar sight of plush chairs and loveseats, made from the finest fabrics and of the loveliest colours, still surrounded the table, making it an inviting place to hold a conversation. Here and there, in corners and by the balcony doors were expensive vases holding an array of sweet smelling flowers. The green warrior welcomed the calming scent of nature.

Their Highnesses sat together on one loveseat that faced the entrance to their rooms. It appeared that neither of them was sick after all; rather they wished to spend a quiet tea break away from prying eyes. Both looked up simultaneously from their cups as Jupiter entered.

Serenity gave a wide smile, looking genuinely pleased to see her.

"Ah, Jupiter," she said warmly, "Please come in! Have a seat. Would you like some tea?"

The Jovian woman sat across from her rulers on the loveseat opposite their own. She politely declined on the tea and Serenity gave a delicate shrug at her negated offer, carefully placing the china teapot back atop the table.

"I presume you know why we summoned you here," the former Moon Princess inquired.

"My Queen, if this is about my failing at my duties last night, then allow me to apologize—"

"There are no apologies necessary, Jupiter," the lovely Monarch cut in, "I understand completely."

This caught the Thunder Senshi off guard, "You do?" she asked.

"Yes, regarding the circumstances, it has been a trying week for all of us but, I can't imagine how much it must have affected you. I'm concerned for you, Makoto."

The use of her civilian name, combined with the gentle smile from silver cerulean eyes gave Jupiter the brief glimpse at the Princess she had befriended so long ago.

"We have all felt pain of Mercury's betrayal but, it must have hurt you most of all. The two of you were so close. Even now, it stings my heart just to think about it."

And at the mention of Mercury, that brief glimpse was gone and the cold Queen who ruled Crystal Tokyo was back.

The Warrior of Jupiter was left speechless. Just what could she say? She didn't agree with the sentence placed upon Ami, but could she really risk revealing her thoughts on the matter? The answer, for now, was no. Not yet, not until she could figure out what Ami had been trying to tell her.

She didn't want to lie on the matter either. So Makoto did the wisest thing she could think of and stayed quiet, offering no comment to her Queen.

Her silence caused Endymion, who had yet to say a word, to narrow his eyes in suspicion, but Serenity didn't seem to notice. She continued to speak, oblivious to the sudden tension in the air.

"No, Jupiter, it is I who should ask your forgiveness. I gave you no time to become accustomed to the tragic change of events. I allowed you little rest to deal with the pain you must feel over Mercury's… abrupt departure, and for that I apologize. I see the error of my ways in your face. You look absolutely exhausted, my friend! Please, take a couple days off, let yourself heal. I will have Mars oversee your quadrant in the meantime."

Jupiter's emerald eyes widened. If there was anything that she had expected from this meeting, it was most definitely _not_ to be granted leniency from her duties.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," she said, oddly grateful, "I'll admit, I have been feeling somewhat under the weather lately." _Being up for nearly three days straight can do that to you_, she added wryly inside her head.

After that, the three of them exchanged mild pleasantries before the auburn-haired soldier got the hint that she should leave. Bowing to her King and Queen, she retreated from their chambers and, seeing as she now had the day off, went for the peace and quiet of her personal sanctuary.

To say that Jupiter, now simply attired as Makoto, was surprised to find another within her Garden's supposedly "secret" glade, was an understatement. She was thunderstruck! Of course, when she saw just who the perceptive intruder was, it all made sense.

Helios turned as she entered, his gentle amber eyes going wide in surprise as well. So she hadn't been the only one **_not_** expecting company within this clearing.

He composed himself quickly though, and offered a polite "Hello," which she returned.

Now the situation became awkward. The Soldier of Jupiter and the Guardian of Elysian were hardly what you would call friends; hell, they were barely acquaintances, so you could imagine it was hard to find a suitable topic of conversation for them.

No longer standing the uncomfortable silence, Makoto was the first one to "break the ice," so to speak.

"I thought I was the only one who knew of this place," she said quietly.

Helios nodded to her.

"You were," he said, "I only just found this small haven today, as I admired the roses. It's very peaceful here."

"Yes," the Jovian Princess agreed. "It is."

The Guardian's eyes came up from gazing at a rose of the softest sugar pink, to stare at her.

"You created this." He gestured out to the grass of the glade, and to the surrounding walls of rose bushes. "Didn't you?"

"Yes, I did."

"It doesn't surprise me," he said, smiling, "Rini—I mean, Small Lady, once told me of your gift with plants." Now his smile faded, and the sorrow that had shadowed his face when first she saw him today, came back.

There was no use in Makoto asking the young man if he had talked to the pink-haired Princess lately; she knew the answer to that herself. Small Lady never left the company of the children of the court, not for anything, not anymore.

"If you don't mind my asking, what was it that you went to see their Majesties about?" she questioned instead.

Now Helios's face became even darker, and the Soldier of Jupiter instantly regretted bringing up the subject.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, "That was rude of me. Forget I said anything."

The Dream Keeper shook his head at her apology.

"No, no," he assured her. "It's quite alright. It's just that…" He sighed sadly. "The reason I came here today was, unfortunately, to deliver ill tidings, but they would hear none of what I had to say. It worries me greatly."

The poor boy looked so distressed that Makoto couldn't resist putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. There was nothing she could say to cheer him up, not when she had her own concerns weighing her down.

They stood that way for some time, both adrift in their own gloomy thoughts, before Helios proclaimed that it was time he returned to Elysian. They bid each other farewell and parted ways.

Makoto found herself wandering the Royal Gardens, instead of relaxing in the solitude of her now-not-so-secret glade as she had originally intended to do. Her brief talk with the troubled young man stirred her own worries back to the surface, and she found herself restless because of them.

And just what bad news did Helios have for the King and Queen, anyway? And why did they ignore it? No matter how minor the problem may have been, they should not have dismissed it so easily. That was not right.

The Thunder Senshi put these new troubles on the back burner of her mind because, at the moment, she had more pressing issues to think about. Her resolve strengthened, she strode purposefully back into the Rose Garden's clearing, and sat herself down, Indian style, on the fresh grass.

Her mind was far too jumbled. If she had any hope of getting anywhere with her musings today then she needed to clear it.

Eyes closed, deep breaths, her body held completely still.

Makoto fell into her familiar meditative trance almost immediately. Her senses were on high alert. She could smell the mingled scents of flowers, earth, and wind. She could hear the rustling of leaves and the chirping of nearby birds. She could feel the gentle caress of a springtime breeze. And in her mind's eye, she saw her friend.

The Princess of Mercury stood, embracing her lover outside of his house. Her face radiated with happiness, but her eyes glittered bitter tears of sorrow and regret.

Before, when she'd watched this scene from that strange "well," she'd been confused by Ami's sad eyes. But now, Makoto understood why she cried.

It was because of everything she was leaving behind; all that she had to sacrifice, just to be happy. And such sacrifices should not have had to be made in the first place!

Labeled a traitor, for loving someone in a non-plutonic way? Back in the Silver Millennium, it had never been considered a crime for one of the Senshi to pursue a relationship. It had even been encouraged as a means to bring the planets and their rulers closer together. So why had Serenity instigated such a stupid law for Crystal Tokyo?

_Because she was scared_. The answer bubbled up from deep within Makoto's psyche. Yes, it seemed that the Jovian Warrior was not the only one who felt as if Crystal Tokyo would not always be a sure thing. Their great Queen had feared its destruction as well, perhaps sensed the same thing Makoto did at times; that the entirety of the Neo Millennium was a hoax, something that would disappear in the blink of an eye.

And what better way to ensure the future of her prosperous Kingdom than to confine the ones who guarded it so well? Mercury had been the first of any of the Senshi to leave the glittering walls of the enormous city in nearly 900 years! The others would venture outside the walls, but they only ever went so far, and that was only after gaining explicit permission by the King and Queen.

That had been the first law placed upon them; restriction from the rest of the planet. The second came as an extra means that none of the Senshi would forget the primary reason for existing: to protect the Rulers of Crystal Tokyo. Any life outside of that was quickly swallowed up by the large increase in their duties and by the fact that they were no longer allowed to pursue intimate relationships with any of the city's inhabitants.

Thoughts of getting married, of beginning families of their own, of living lives of their own making were driven out of their minds. The only exception to the rule was with Haruka and Michiru, but the two had shown time and time again that their duties came before each other, so none worried about either of them distracting the other from their primary mission life.

Ami had broken a law that should never have been made in the first place, and lost all she knew in doing so. Thus, the Mercurian Princess cried.

Makoto saw it all again in her head, more clearly than she had before. She stared good and hard into Ami's deep blue eyes, and forced all her concentration into reading the specific movement of her lips, as they formed that single word.

She replayed this part many times in her mind, and each time she brought her sight closer and closer until finally, her friend's pale face was all her mind-sight saw. That was when she caught it, like a whisper on the wind, a voice. It was hard to make out, but it brushed through her ears at the same time Ami's mouth moved.

The word sounded so familiar, just on the tip of her tongue. Makoto strained for all she was worth to recognize it. And it appeared that the Ami image in her head knew she was close, too; because her eyes lost their shimmering sorrow and took on an anxious quality, pleading for the Soldier of the Storms to solve her puzzle.

Those blue orbs lifted skyward, as if asking for divine assistance and Makoto followed her friend's line of sight, stopping suddenly when her green gaze landed on the glowing planetary mark upon Ami's forehead. It was the Ice Senshi's proof of her birthright. It was the symbol of Mercury.

The meditating brunette's breathed whooshed right out of her as the answer revealed itself, hitting her like a ton of bricks.

"Mercury," she said breathlessly, "They're on Mercury."

It all made sense now! No wonder the Senshi couldn't track the lovers down! The only place they'd thought to scan for their life signatures was on Earth! It never occurred to any of them that the two fugitives could be on another planet!

Makoto got up and ran. She had know idea where she was running to; her body just seemed to move of its own accord, like it was being pulled somewhere, answering a call that her ears couldn't hear but her heart could feel.

She didn't stop until she found herself at a recently familiar house. The tugging at her core receded as she stood on Greg's front lawn, in the very spot that he and Ami disappeared from.

_So now what?_ she thought.

Why was she here, of all places?

Theelation she felt at her great discovery of Ami's whereabouts severely dampened now that it dawned on her just how foolish she had been for coming here. There was nothing of importance here that she could see and she did not sense anything special about the place either.

Top it off with the fact that she got here by running through the Palace and the city like a madwoman. If that did not raise suspicions and call yet more negative attention to her, then she didn't know what would! And Venus breathing down her neck was **_not_** something she needed right now.

Confused, frustrated and disgusted at herself, Makoto turned to leave; and that was when the snowflake caught her eye.

It obviously was not a normal snowflake by any means, seeing as how its diameter was easily the width of her palm and by the fact that the last snowfall Crystal Tokyo had was three months ago. No, this had the power of the Ice Senshi written all over it.

Its delicate white form drifted softly in the air, floating down to land in Makoto's outstretched hand. It did not melt upon contact with her body heat either, further proof that it was a creation of Mercury.

The Thunder Senshi stared down at the intricate patterns that made up this small wonder and then began to blink rapidly, afraid she was seeing things. Were her eyes playing tricks on her or was the center of the snowflake slowly shifting its ivory essence into the symbol of Mercury?

Said symbol flared to life, in a blaze of iced blue, and Makoto could feel her own Jovian sign burning on her forehead in response. Nope, her eyes were fine, she was not seeing things.

A gust of frigid wind, a blinding flash of light, and the stunned Soldier of Jupiter no longer occupied Greg's front lawn. She now stood at the Golden Gates, the entrance to the paradise known as Elysian, the planet's very heart…

And it was dying.

* * *

**CrystalMaker:** Ohhh, I'm bad. Cliffhanger naughty. Bad CM. Bad, bad CM. Oh well, it gives me the drive I need to get started on the next chapter, so I consider it a necessary evil.

Apologies for taking my sweet time with this one, I just couldn't get myself to sit down and write it some days. Personally, I blame my Muses. They went on vacation and took my Initiative with them. Then they came back plastered, and suffered one Hell of a hangover for nearly a week. It wasn't a pretty sight, let me tell you.

So inform me what you think of my efforts so far, and I will love you 'til the End of the World for your precious, precious input.


	6. Sorrow

**CrystalMaker:** First off, all rights and legal mumbo-jumbo of the characters of Sailor Moon belong to Naoko Takeuchi. She is a brilliantly creative woman and I can't take credit for her stuff (though God knows I wish I could).

Secondly, as per tradition: eternal love, bear hugs, and big smooches to all who have reviewed and given me nothing but encouragement. You're all wonderful, and I just wanted you to know that.

Then there is my special friend, Yami Hime Hikari, a great writer (check out her stuff, you won't regret it) and my Beta-reader. She is wise beyond her unknown years and is not afraid to berate me for my foolish mistakes, and to that I give her unconditional credit.

I'm done talking now, so feel free to continue on. Enjoy!

* * *

**Day 3 Continued**

**Golden Gates of Elysian**

When the tears built up in her eyes Makoto welcomed them, for they blurred her vision of the desolate grounds around her. Yet it did not make a difference whether she saw the damage of the area or not because, within her core, she could feel it. It was an excruciating throb that ached in the confines of her chest with every beat her heart took.

When Crystal Tokyo rose the Senshi came fully into their powers, just as their Queen did. Their complete development occurred swiftly and was of much surprise to all of them.

Venus became a modern-day Cupid, with the ability to change the perception that individuals had of each other by merely a wave of her hand. She'd been granted the power to change and alter the emotions of mortals and had put this gift to good use when Serenity strove to bring the entire planet together under her peaceful rule. With the Love Goddess behind her, any rebellion that threatened to rise was quickly put to rest.

Mars found that her psychic abilities extended to an incredible sixth sense, the likes that none of the others had ever seen. She'd been able to predict trouble rising at all points in the world because of it, and thus, the Senshi were never caught off guard by attacking factions. However, like Venus' powers, Mars' senses could only detect the actions of mortals, any questions regarding the supernatural and she was forced to consult her sacred flame. The fire she wielded also altered, and now burned at heats that could rival a supernova.

Mercury could conjure ice storms and blizzards on a dime and the small power that she had over water itself increased drastically. She found the water she brought forth was gifted with the soothing ability to heal even the most fatal of burns. Her natural wisdom became plainly seen in her eyes, and she was sought out as a consultant to the King and Queen in all their endeavours.

Uranus could hear the voices of the wind clearer than ever before, and the strength behind her attacks now caused monumental damage if she wasn't careful. She had also learned that, by great concentration, the wind under her power could lift her up. Uranus was granted the enviable ability to fly at devastating speeds.

Neptune could listen to the speech of the seas with ease, and the creatures that lived within the deep waters now answered her summons when she called. But it was not merely animals that the ocean beauty could ensnare; the majority of her powers now rested on her Siren-like abilities. She could entrance the minds of mortals, both male and female alike, by adding a curious lilt to her voice, and then they were hers to command.

Saturn's powers, immense in magnitude as they already were, changed little. Yet there were still a few new tricks she found herself capable of doing. Like crossing the barrier between life and death. Though she could not go very far, this ability allowed her to bring back the lives of any on the brink of death. If a mortal already crossed the barrier, it was far too late. The only exception to bringing back any life when they had already passed was if their souls were small, such as a baby's or an animal's. Her healing powers increased as well and the frail girl did not grow so weak when she used them as she once had.

None knew if Pluto gained an excess in her powers, and if she did, she neither mentioned it, nor showed it. Everyone thought it rude to ask, so no answer was ever given. The chances were, though, that she possessed special gifts as well, but was, perhaps, not allowed to use them.

As for Jupiter, the plant basis of some of her lesser-used attacks paved the way for her own unique planetary traits. Storms could be created or scattered by her mere thought alone and, most often, the weather responded when her emotions ran particularly strong.

Yet her true completion as a Senshi came with her natural affinity to plant life. The people of Crystal Tokyo knew her to be their resident Mother Nature, so to speak. She found she could sense the life force of the very planet and all its children, down to a singular blade of grass. She became an empathic psychic, able to sense the emotions of any living being, it made her increasingly sensitive and aware of her surroundings at all times.

And now, these powers came back to bite her in the butt. The golden city of Elysian was dead, and the sorrow that radiated from the area choked Makoto until she found herself gasping for air.

The emotions of the place were raw and many: anger, fright, despair, hatred, love, fury, and utter hopelessness. All this and more bombarded the Jovian's senses as the tears leaked from her emerald orbs. The deadened sight of the heart of Earth itself was macabre to her eyes.

No vibrant colours or lush floral scents. The gardens of Elysian were withered and brown, the plants dried up husks of their once former glory. The trees were no better. They stood against a bleak grey sky, barren of the leaves that forever crowned them in this magical place. What green there was left in this land was aged and yellowing, a sickly colour that told of a silent and suffering death.

Even the great lake of Elysian was still. Small waves lapped heavily against the shores and rocks but, only when the fiercest of winds blew, which was not often. Its crystal blue waters looked poisoned, the shade darkened to an unhealthy jade-indigo that screamed of bacterial infestation.

"What- What happened here?" she asked brokenly as she fell to her knees, her body quailing in despair. Never had Makoto felt such a painful emptiness within the hollow of her heart. It was unbearable.

_Such death_, she anguished. _How could we not have known?_

"The Lady Mercury's reaction was much the same when she saw this place." In her grief, the Warrior of Jupiter did not notice the figure that came to stand at her side. "You truly did not know what was happening to this star, did you?"

She shook her head in shame. "How did this happen? **_When_** did this happen?" she asked desperately.

"The decimation of this holy sanctuary can only come through the neglect of the people who rule it; when they ignore the needs of the planet that sustains them, its life force leaks away, slowly. That's what has happened to this Earth.

"As for when it began, I truly cannot say. The first time I became aware that something was wrong was not until the death of one of the King's rosebushes. No plant dies in the gardens of Elysian, not unless the King himself is ill, but when I approached him on the matter, he was perfectly fine. I could not sense a thing wrong with him. That was a thousand years ago, to this very day."

Makoto looked up to the Guardian of this dying land in disbelief, and gasped in horror. The young man that stood before her now was a pale and gaunt shadow of the handsome boy she spoke to not three hours earlier.

The proud figure that once was Helios was bent and broken. His skin was the only thing that covered his bones, and it had a yellow hue to it that turned Makoto's stomach. His blue-white hair hung lank and thin, in good need of a wash, and fell into glazed, red-rimmed eyes. He was the very personification of the diseased land around them.

He smirked at the revulsion in the Thunder Senshi's expression, an action that grotesquely twisted the features of his face.

"The magic that saturates the whole of the Crystal City, by the limitless power from the Silver Imperial Crystal, is the only thing that keeps our King alive now. Were he to venture from its prosperous walls, he would die. Not even his own Golden Crystal could save him, for its own power has abandoned him, just as he and his Queen have long since abandoned the rest of their kingdom.

"The Helios that you saw in the Palace and in the Royal Gardens was an illusion. When I enter Crystal Tokyo, its magic gives me back my health and appearance, but that is only so long as I stay there. What you see now is my true form, the one that returns when I leave the Capital behind. This is what I went to discuss with their Majesties today,"—he gestured out to Elysian, then to himself—"just as I do each year, when I see that things have not changed, but instead, grow even worse."

"Haven't you thought to just bring them here, so that they can see the damage for themselves?" Makoto found it very hard to wrap her mind around this travesty. She knew that Endymion and Serenity's role as rulers left much to be desired, but this? It just didn't seem possible.

The dying boy gave a small chuckle that shook his entire frame like a leaf on the wind. "Lady Mercury asked that very same question as well," he said. "And I tell you as I told her: yes, I have thought to bring them here. Hundreds of times I have tried to convince them to accompany me to Elysian, to see the damage their neglect has wrought, but I may as well talk to a wall, for all that they listen to me.

"They sit within the heart of their city, surrounded by millennia of collected magic. When the King reaches his senses into the Earth, this power, which is not his own, dilutes his abilities, and obscures the bond that he has with the planet. He truly believes that there is nothing wrong with this star because, if there was, he would undoubtedly feel its effects. I've explained to him why he cannot sense the illness within the Earth, but"—Helios gave a tired, sad sigh—"Their Majesties have become arrogant in their power, and ignorant to the plight the rest of the world suffers.

"They refuse my demands and have long stopped listening to my pleas. I have run out of hope." His dull amber eyes met her own. "This planet will truly die, Lady Jupiter, and not even the combined strength of its Rulers and the Senshi alike will be able save it now."

Having said all that he needed to say, the Guardian turned and began to walk away, leaving a speechless Makoto behind.

"Wait!" she called after him, "Tell me, when was it that you spoke to her?"

Helios paused in his steps but did not turn around. He knew whom it was that the brunette spoke of.

"Three days ago," he replied over his shoulder, "she came here with a man whose name I did not catch. But they did not stay long, as the Lady Mercury knew that, even now, my loyalties lay first and foremost with my King. They left through the Transporter before I had a chance to contact the Palace, and by no means am I able to figure out where it was they went. The Lady was thorough in covering her tracks on the device." The tragic looking boy glanced back at Makoto now, an unreadable expression on his face. "Perhaps you would have better luck with the accursed thing than I."

Then the Guardian turned a corner, lined with thick bushes barren of everything but nasty looking thorns; leaving as quietly as he had come.

The green-eyed warrior stared blankly after him, a sly smile slowly creeping up onto her face. The young man was slick, she'd give him that. In no way had he allowed himself to be held accountable for helping the runaway couple escape, because he hadn't! If they had _somehow_ managed to make it through the Transporter before he could stop them, then there was little he could do.

Makoto got up, dusting the dirt and dead grass off her knees, and pushed the agony she felt on behalf of the land to the back of her mind. If her ancient memory served, then the Transporter that Helios spoke of would be back at the Golden Gates. She retraced her steps to Elysian's entrance, praying that in the thousands of years since she'd last used it, the construct had not been moved.

Back in the age of the Silver Millennium, travel between the Planetary Kingdoms was both time-consuming, and costly. Magic could only transport a person so far, usually less than a quarter of the distance between two of the closest existing planets. So space vessels had to be used, but they too, were slow and vulnerable to attack when traveling the lawless recesses of space.

It wasn't until the Mercurians invented the devices now known as Transporters that the Royals of the Planets were finally able to meet each other face to face, rather than speaking through video phones or by sending messengers and emissaries, many of which died before reaching their destinations. This was when the true Alliance of the Silver Millennium came to pass.

The bright people of Mercury constructed the apparatus by an intricate and delicate balance of both machinery and magic. Combined together, with the right specifications and brain-busting calculations that the Mercurians were all-too-famous for, it allowed instant teleportation of a living being to anywhere within the regulated coordinates of the solar system. Or more specifically, it could bring you from one Transporter, situated in capital cities spanning all the worlds of the galaxy, to another; and it did so safely.

Makoto could only assume that the other Transporters of Earth had long since been destroyed, so that its last one, hidden safely away in the haven of Elysian, was the only surviving construct of ancient knowledge left on the planet… and apparently it still worked!

The design of the device itself resembled a large gazebo of sorts, except that it wasn't made of beautifully carved wood, but of gleaming metal. The shape was octagonal, with the pointed roof supported by thick beams at each juncture. It had two means of exit, both facing opposite the other, with a couple of steps that lead into the Transporter itself. Where perhaps a bench would have stood, there was a large, wide panel that came up to mid-waist, its slanted surface covered entirely by buttons, levers, symbols and constantly flashing lights.

If the Jovian girl had not been schooled in using this apparatus long, long ago, she would've thought she was in over her head. As it was, though, the Transporter wasn't nearly so complicated to use as it looked.

All one had to do was press the symbol of the desired planet they wished to go to; then a small screen, built into the panel, brought up a list of all the major cities that housed a similar device, which you had to choose from.

When your choice was made and you pressed the large green button that indicated you were ready to leave, the screen commenced a ten-second countdown, giving you that time to situate yourself in the "gazebo's" raised center. A brief tingling sensation, a lurch on your stomach, and tiny pinpricks along your body was all it took before you arrived at your desired destination.

Makoto experienced this ride with an intense feeling of déjà vu, which left her slightly shaken. She brushed it off and stepped out of the Transporter, heading down a familiar hallway, following the bright signature of Ami, pictured as a misty blue light in her mind's eye.

Memories came flooding back to the Thunder Senshi as she traversed the frost-tinted halls of her best friend's beloved Marina Castle. It was in this very building that Makoto had first been introduced to the shy Heiress of Mercury. The girl's timid and quiet nature contrasted sharply to Jupiter's own wild and bold personality.

Back then, many of the things that the Heiress of Jupiter did or said mollified the poor Ice Princess, who had only ever followed decorum and rules. Makoto remembered many times standing up for her friend from nasty Court Nobles, constantly throwing their ugly verbal barbs at her because she made such an easy target. But even the Jovian's threats of severe physical harm didn't completely curb some of the more… persistent of Mercury's tormentors.

It wasn't until the blue-haired girl, having been cornered one fateful evening during an annual ball at the castle, with no tall brunette to protect her, finally decided that enough was enough. She brought out her brave nature, hidden deep inside her heart, and stood proud as she gave her long-time bullies, disguised as Nobles of her planet, the tongue-thrashing that they so richly deserved.

Whatever she said to them, within that darkened alcove that night, it had them quickly leaving the festivities, faces red in humiliation and eyes wide with shock. They never said a single unkind word about her again, and avoided her company whenever possible afterwards.

Jupiter had been there, had watched the whole thing from a distance, and still, all these many years later, the memory had her heart swelling with pride. Ami had come a long way since then. Committing an act of high treason against the Neo-Silver Millennium, escaping and running from the authorities, turning herself into a convict of the planet: it didn't get much gutsier than that! This had Makoto chuckling to herself; she had created a monster!

As amusing as these thoughts were for her, the brunette knew she had to substitute humour for concentration now, as the layout of the Palace of Mercury was as complex as the minds of the people who built it: unless you had directions or a map of sorts, then only an intimate familiarity of the vast Castle Marina could prevent you from becoming completely lost.

Thankfully for the Thunder Senshi, she was, even after all these thousands of years, still blessed with the knowledge she needed for the direction that she was headed. However, that's not saying that she didn't need to be careful: one wrong turn and she could be wandering the halls for hours before getting back on the right track; and Makoto had the strange feeling that she didn't have that much time to spare.

Long, winding hallways followed by many twists and turns found the brunette under a large and beautifully crafted archway. The Palace's corridors were adorned with many of the same snow-sculpted structures but this one in particular was special; unless she had counted wrong and this **_wasn't_** the 23rd arch.

"Only one way to find out," Makoto muttered to herself.

Feeling along the archway's cold surface her slender fingers traced over the artistic renderings that swirled across the entire construct. The design, made to resemble the flight of snow upon the wind, was simple and elegant, much like the rest of Castle Marina.

Finding a small niche along the right side of the arch, just behind a particularly large snowflake carved out of the wall, the Princess of Jupiter found the button she was looking for.

Pressing said button revealed a slight crack indented further down along the left wall, beyond the 23rd archway. Minimum force put upon the indent had it opening completely with nary a sound and gave way to a shadowed passage.

Light within the narrow corridor was dim, coming from clusters of tiny ice crystals that seemed to grow from the very ceiling itself. They cast a soft glow in tones of blue that did no more than allow a person to see their next step and little else.

Yet the Jovian walked on in confidence, despite the near darkness. She and Mercury had used this secret pathway, one of many in the Palace, an infinite amount of times in the Silver Millennium. Thus Makoto knew where it lead to, and as a result, came to the passage's end sooner than she thought she would.

She caught the brief sliver of light from a crack in yet another hidden doorway before said door slid open at her presence, then slid back to seamlessly form a wall again once she had passed through.

"Makoto!"

The calling of her name was expected and she turned to the source that voiced it.

There Ami sat, in her favourite chair by a roaring fire which was contained behind a thin sheet of ice. The book the girl had been reading lay forgotten in her lap as her wide cobalt eyes met the Jovian's green ones.

"Hey, Ames." The Soldier of the Storms gave a gentle smile that her blue-haired friend returned cautiously.

Makoto stood in the middle of the Ice Planet's most favoured treasure trove, Castle Marina's Royal Library. In the past, scholars and scientists from all over the galaxy traveled here, to partake of the vast quantities of information stored within this enormous room. Not even the great Royal Library on the Moon could compare with the seemingly infinite amount of knowledge one could glean from Marina's frosted shelves. It also happened to be the Heiress of Mercury's favourite sanctuary and hideout while growing up.

"It figures I'd find you in here," the tall woman said, grinning widely, "Some things never change, huh?"

Ami's smile grew a bit wider in response to that, but the wariness she still felt with her friend's appearance had yet to leave her eyes. Her whole body had gone tense, unconsciously anticipating the possibility of a fight or flight scenario.

Makoto saw all of this and lost her wry grin. The reasons for why she was here were suddenly recalled. "And some things change too much," she added sadly. Her long legs crossed the distance to the armchair that sat across from Ami's by the fire. The Thunder Senshi flung herself onto it dejectedly; landing sprawled with one leg draped over an armrest and her head resting on its partner. She fiddled with her hands, picking at her nails in a nervous habit that she had not entertained for many years.

Still her friend said nothing; she just continued to watch Makoto with her large, dark eyes. If there was ever a time when Makoto felt like she was being tested, this was it. Taking a deep breath, the Warrior of Jupiter did what she did best: she dove right in.

"I know where we went wrong," she began, "I thought about it, when I came to Elysian and when I saw—" she couldn't bring herself to say it; the lump that formed in her throat when she thought of those desolate grounds was hard to choke down, "—well, when I saw what… happened and I think I figured it out.

"We made the mistake of bringing up the past, of resurrecting a time and an era that should've stayed put. We were all so concerned about destiny, and about bringing peace to the earth that we lost sight of what was important; and so much more..." Makoto trailed off as she thought of Minako as Venus, a cold and ruthless commander; and of the animosity that had slowly grown between the blonde warrior and Mars, who no longer felt anything but anger and fury.

She snapped out of it and continued, "Our first and worst mistake was in creating Crystal Tokyo, which should've never have happened in the first place; I realize that now. Trying to recreate the Silver Millennium… The past belongs in the past, and we were fools to think that we could bring an age from five thousand years ago to the present, and make it fit.

"Serenity and Endymion aren't the only ones who are ignorant and arrogant; all of us, the Senshi, we were, too. We had no right to do what we did. And now the Earth itself is paying for our mistakes. It's going to die out… because of us. All because of us."

She couldn't hold it in any longer, the first tear that slipped from one emerald eye broke the dam and Makoto wept. Her shoulders shook and the tears fell down upon her cheeks and arms in a smaller, saltier version of the storms which she controlled so well.

The muffled sound of thunder could be heard from outside, pursued shortly thereafter by the pelting of raindrops which echoed off of the Palace roof; the heavens above wept fiercely with their child, sympathetic in her plight; and presenting her inner turmoil in the form of wild rain, raging lightning, and thrashing winds for all the world to see, feel, and hear.

Makoto cried for the Earth; she cried for its inhabitants, the countless billions who suffered on account of the Silver Millennium and the children who still remembered it, and who could not leave those memories well enough alone; but mostly, the Jovian cried for her friends, whom she no longer recognized, and doubted that she ever would.

* * *

**CrystalMaker:** sigh I knew that this chapter would be more of a challenge to write than the previous ones, just because of all the information and explanations that had to take place in it. And wouldn't you know it; I was right on the money!

It took me a while to finally get it all to a point where I was satisfied that just about all the bases I wanted to cover, got covered, and covered well too. My perfectionism is a bitch when it comes to this, but I'm pretty happy with it. What about you?

P.S. I apologize profusely for the long wait. I grovel for your forgiveness and can only hope that you think it was worth the time it took.

P.P.S. Don't forget to review!

Love ya, CM.


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